5 times Cristiano Ronaldo got the better of his arch-rival Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are set to renew acquaintances for the first time in two years.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are set to renew acquaintances for the first time in two years.

#3 Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (La Liga, April 2012)

Cristiano Ronaldo effectively sealed the La Liga title for Real Madrid in this game.
Cristiano Ronaldo effectively sealed the La Liga title for Real Madrid in this game.

Cristiano Ronaldo effectively sealed the 2011-12 La Liga title for Real Madrid by netting the winner at Camp Nou in a tense El Clasico to end his side's long-wait for a domestic trophy.

With just four points separating the two arch-rivals after 34 games, Barcelona needed to win to keep alive the title race, but Cristiano Ronaldo played spoilsport once again.

Just minutes after Alexis Sanchez appeared to have secured a draw for the hosts by cancelling out Sami Khedira's early opener, Cristiano Ronaldo capped off a silky counter-attacking move by rounding Valdes to slot home from about 20 yards out.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 'calma' celebration was very popular at the time, and the Portuguese produced another one at the Camp Nou to silence the frenzied crowd, something that is still remembered fondly by the Madridistas.


#2 Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (La Liga, April 2016)

Cristiano Ronaldo put Barcelona to the sword in their own backyard once again.
Cristiano Ronaldo put Barcelona to the sword in their own backyard once again.

Four years after his El Clasico heroics at Camp Nou, history repeated itself when Cristiano Ronaldo netted a late winner at the home of Barcelona to settle another high-stakes Clasico. Even though Barcelona just about managed to hang on to the La Liga title this time, the Portuguese got the better of Lionel Messi yet again.

With the game deadlocked at 1-1 in the closing embers, Los Blancos had seen Gareth Bale's perfectly-legitimate winner ruled out and Sergio Ramos sent off too, but cometh the hour, cometh Cristiano Ronaldo.

Chesting down Bale's superb cross at the far post, Cristiano Ronaldo lashed a shot between the legs of Claudio Bravo to net an 85th-minute clincher and dampen the mood at the Camp Nou yet again.


#1 Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Copa Del Rey Final, April 2011)

Cristiano Ronaldo ended Real Madrid's long wait for silverware with this goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo ended Real Madrid's long wait for silverware with this goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo's early exchanges with Barcelona after joining Real Madrid didn't yield positive results. In fact, he went five El Clasicos without a victory until this occasion, which came in the midst of a hectic run of four games between the sides in a span of just three weeks.

After Barcelona eliminated Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, Cristiano Ronaldo restored Los Blancos' lost pride by helping them clinch the Copa Del Rey title and deny Pep Guardiola's juggernaut a second continental treble in just three years.

In the closing moments of that game, Los Blancos' legendary number 7 scored his trademark towering header beyond Barcelona custodian Jose Pinto to end Real Madrid's 24-month wait for a title.

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